Energy sustainability goals prompt hydro feasibility study

As part of the USACE commitment to reducing its carbon footprint by decreasing greenhouse gas emissions, the Tulsa District wanted to learn if its John Redmond Dam was a good candidate for adding hydropower. Our energy analysts, engineers and design professionals collected and reviewed historic data and drawings to gain a deeper understanding of the facility and local conditions. Following this review, our team selected a potentially viable scenario and developed a conceptual-level facility layout to inform cost projections and power generation estimates.

The data review helped the team determine the ranges of head and flow needed to support energy production forecasts and economic modeling. In addition, our cultural and environmental resources experts reviewed the concept of integrating power generation to assess impacts for regulatory compliance. Based on the conceptual design, although limited in detail, our team calculated the rough quantity take-offs, which equipped the client to project facility costs successfully and decide if it is feasible to add hydropower at this time.